Roll the Dice
by SpellCleaver
Summary: They were the best friends - and possibly more - that could heal their world. And nothing about that would ever change, no matter what world they lived in. Four Scorbus (platonic and romantic) drabbles that range from AU/AH, to canon.
1. Climb the Stile, Climb the Tree

_So, I came up with the idea of challenging myself to write a drabble of sorts, maybe longer, inspired by whatever images I roll on Rory's Story Cubes (for those who don't know, they're dice with different pictures on meant to inspire stories). They'll all be centred around Albus and Scorpius, some platonic, some romantic, some All Human, some canon, etcetera. I'll see what it's like as it comes._

 _So, for the first roll, the dice showed the following symbols:_

 _A **Clock** (time), a **Hand** , an **Aeroplane** , a set of **Scales** (law/order/justice), a **Sheep** , a **Question Mark** , a **Pyramid** , a **Goldfish** , and a **Crescent Moon** (night)._

 _Places where I incorporated these into the text will be flagged in bold._

 _This particular one-shot is All Human._

 _So here we go. I don't own Harry Potter, or any of the characters mentioned._

* * *

The feud between the Potters and the Malfoys was legendary, but no one could remember how it had started. It was as though the world had been shaped with it in existence, right at the beginning of **time**.

Of course, there were many, many, _many_ explanations concocted for it. But no one could ever agree on any one reason.

James Potter had claimed that Lucius Malfoy's grandfather had stolen a **sheep** from his grandfather. Lucius Malfoy claimed that James Potter's great-grandfather had one time intentionally injured an award-winning prize racehorse his grandfather had owned. Harry Potter claimed that he would have been willing to see past old animosity and be civil towards Draco Malfoy had the latter not been so incessantly rude towards his friend Hermione Granger. She'd been a newcomer to the town they'd all lived in for decades, admittedly, but calling her "newbie" even after she'd lived there for ten years seemed extreme. And it was a never confirmed but widely known fact that Draco Malfoy had always been jealous of the friendship between Harry Potter and Ron Weasley, since he'd had to intimidate his own friends into being in his company as a boy.

So when Harry Potter went for a walk with his two sons, and ran into Draco Malfoy and _his_ son, no one expected there to be pleasantries.

"Potter," Draco sneered as Scorpius scrambled over the sty half a step behind him. Harry didn't deign to respond, gifting the other man with a mere nod, as he swept by. The way that Draco was standing, meant that Harry had to brush right up against the wire fence to avoid touching him, and the dark-haired man refused to give Draco the satisfaction of a wince as the nettles stung him through his trousers.

James, Harry's son, however, responded with, "Malfoy. Come to resume your role of being a prick?"

Draco gritted his teeth, and responded with an epithet that had James wrinkling his nose in disgust. But Albus - ever the peacekeeper - just pushed him aside and very pointedly stepped past Draco, who scowled at him. Albus stood in front of the sty for a moment before seeming to grow impatient at Scorpius' struggle of getting over with only one hand free, and reaching down to grasp in wrist and, gently, yank him over.

Scorpius flushed at the scrutinising looks both adults sent him and Albus, whose attention was suddenly fixed on the bag in his hand. "What is that?"

Scorpius shifted nervously, but surprisingly, there was no hatred in Albus' stare. "A **goldfish** _._ _"_

Albus blinked. "Why do you have a goldfish?"

Scorpius shifted again. "Because."

Albus blinked again. "Oh."

Then Scorpius' father was pulling him along and the peaceful moment was broken, as James shoved into Albus from behind until he started moving again. The boy mechanically climbed over the sty and kept walking.

The boys met again later that **night,** this time alone. It was dark, but Scorpius was climbing a tree in the woods behind his house; Albus was doing the same. The strip of woods, about a mile thick, were a barrier between the Potters' lands, and the Malfoys' lands. Although Draco was very protective of his son, as he had been since Astoria had died, and he was loathe to let him out of his sight, he allowed him to play on his own in the woods. He knew that his son was lonely - a side effect of being a Malfoy; the town were still prejudiced against their family since Lucius had been one of the main supporters of an extreme political movement that had ripped family's apart - and that meant he was more lenient when it came to playing. It was why he'd bought Scorpius a goldfish: so he had someone to talk to, even if they didn't talk back.

They were both lonely, in a way.

Albus was there because he'd argued with his dad again. Besides, James was notorious for sneaking wherever and whenever he felt like it, and though Harry was very much aware of it, he'd never reprimanded him, so why couldn't he do the same?

Whatever the circumstances, the important thing was that they met, that strip of woods a neutral green as they eyed each other from several metres off the ground in their respective trees, the space between them much more than what it was.

Finally, Scorpius said, "Hi, Scorpius. I mean, I'm Scorpius. You're Albus. I'm Scorpius." He fidgeted on the branch, and looked unsettlingly close to falling off.

Albus said, "I knew that."

It was a quiet phrase, with no hostility, but one that had Scorpius stammering again.

"I know- I know you knew my name but it's polite- I mean it's nice to have a formal introduction." He grinned, but it was weak. "So, hi. I'm Scorpius." He held out his **hand** over the gap, even though Albus was metres away from him, he left it there.

Albus said cautiously, "I'm Albus. Albus Severus." He lifted his hand and stretched it out over the gap himself. He pretended to close it round an imaginary hand, and shook it. Scorpius' eyes widened, but he was quick to grin, and reciprocate the gesture.

"Well, we've gotten so far," Albus mused. "Why not be friends?"

Scorpius flushed. He seemed to do that a lot. "Friends?" He asked, and a thrill laced his voice. "Okay."

They spent time together until well past midnight, building **pyramids** out of sticks and setting light to them, making paper **aeroplanes** out of the notebook Scorpius had in his pocket and flying messages to each other from their spots high up in trees.

"Why do you think it exists?" Albus asked finally, his pale face lit by the glow of their tiny bonfire. "The feud, I mean."

There was a moment of silence to commemorate the heaviness of the **question _,_** before Scorpius said. "I don't know. But I swear, this sort of thing should be **illegal** or something. It's just. . . pointless, how long we've spent hating each other."

Albus was quiet, then, "I don't know. But my dad's a police officer, so I think he'd know if it was illegal or not. I don't care though," he continued fiercely. "I like you, and I want you to be my friend, and no pointless feud or age old grudge is going to stop that."

Scorpius said, very quietly, "Agreed."

They reached over the fire and clasped hands.

And so the world ended.

And a new one began.

* * *

 _Should I continue with the whole one-shot series idea? I know it's short, but this'll probably just be a bunch of drabbles, unless I have the inspiration to write a long one. What did you think? Review?_


	2. Read the Letter, Watch the Stars

_For the second roll, the dice showed the following symbols:_

 _A **Wand** , a **Mask** , a **Shooting Star** , a **Face With a Sort of Sad Smile** , a **Letter** , a **Magnet** , **Two Masks: One Happy, One Sad** , a **Clock** , and a **Hand**._

 _Places where I incorporated these things are flagged in bold._

 _This particular oneshot is set in the canon universe (or how I like to think of it), sometime after Cursed Child._

 _Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, any of the characters, or the world. They all belong to JK Rowling._

* * *

The silence of the Hogwarts library was interrupted by the exasperated sigh ripped from Albus Potter's throat.

Scorpius Malfoy glanced over at his boyfriend/best friend, where Albus' eyes were riveted to a seemingly harmless piece of paper that sat, still ensconced in its **envelope,** on the table a few feet away. Then Albus' green eyes flicked down to the pile of books he'd gathered from the library, and his brows creased.

Tired of the worrying tension in Albus' posture, Scorpius reached out to rest his **hand** on top of his boyfriend's one, braced on a page that talked about Transfiguration theory. He offered a tentative, **sad smile** as Albus' distraught eyes flicked to his, and asked, very softly, "What's wrong?"

Albus jerked his head in a rough shake. "Nothing," he mumbled, but he cast another worried glance at the letter sitting there.

Scorpius raised one pale eyebrow, and awkwardly pursued the topic. "Then why the sudden interest in studying for our N.E.W.T's? I believe that before, your attitude was 'We have months to prepare. We'll be fine'. What changed?" Albus shook his head. "Tell me, Albus Severus, or so help me I will-"

Albus placed a peck on his lips, which swiftly had him fumbling for words.

"-No! Don't try to distract me like that!" He stammered, flustered. He grabbed Albus' shoulder, and swung him round to face him. "Tell me." His voice softened immeasurably as he watched Albus' eyes flicker to the letter and back again. "What did that letter say? And don't tell me nothing's wrong; I know you. Before you were perfectly **happy** , now you look like someone held up a **sad mask** in front of your face."

"Nothing." Albus insisted, shaking his head. Scorpius growled frustratedly under his breath, but didn't push it. He looked back down at his work, where the page showing the wand movement that accompanied _lumos_. He held out his **wand** , swished it, and said very loudly and firmly inside his head, " _Lumos!"_

It worked. The tip of the wand lit up and put the candles to shame as her waved it over the books, leaving streaks of light in its wake like a muggle sparkler, or a **shooting star**. His gaze flicked back to Albus, like his eyes were iron shavings and his boyfriend was a **magnet** , to see that his emerald orbs were fixed on the glowing tip, his face an unreadable **mask**. A **clock** chimed behind them; it had to be past midnight.

"The letter wasn't anything unusual," he confessed. Scorpius immediately muttered _Nox_ and extinguished his wand, giving his boyfriend his full attention. Albus met his eyes. "It was the normal and such, well wishing's, saying that they'll be happy to see me in the Easter holidays. But then Mum commented that I must be working and studying very hard, since I've only got a few more months." His face was pale. "And she's right. I've only got a few months. I struggle with nonverbal spells, let alone the Potions we have to brew. How am I going to pass this?" His eyes sought Scorpius' wand. "Please, teach me how to do that," he begged.

Scorpius bit his lip, but obliged. He scooted over, until his arm was pressed against Albus'. He gently took the hand Albus used to keep his wand with a death grip, ignoring the amused look his boyfriend shot him. He gulped, then murmured, "Think ' _Lumos'_ really really loudly in your head, and imagine you're saying it out loud. Then do the hand motion with me."

For all his joking around, Albus' face was grave when he furrowed his brows and let Scorpius guide him through the spell. The tip illuminated, softly, dimly, but it illuminated all the same. Albus' gentle smile told him what he wanted to know.

The light reflected in Albus' eyes, like the glint of light off of a precious gem. Scorpius idly noticed that when he'd turned to look at him, there was very little space left between their faces.

Albus' murmured "thank you," was lost against Scorpius' lips.

* * *

 _So, I felt like writing fluff. And here it is._

 _Review? They make me feel so happy._


	3. Don the Outfit, Dodge the Leaves

_Hello again! Happy (late) Halloween to you all!_

 _So, the dice this time showed:_

 _A **Foot** , a **Mask** , an **Arrow** , a **Parachute** , a **Smile** , a **Question Mark** , a **Bridge** , a **Letter** , and a **Bug**._

 _Places where I incorporated these things are flagged in bold._

 _This particular one-shot is All Human._

 _Also, this particular oneshot is **platonic**. I'm only saying this because a Guest reviewer got upset that it was romantic last chapter, even though "romantic" is in the summary. I'll say whether they're platonic or romantic at the beginning from now on, so don't read the Romantic ones if you don't like the idea of Scorbus as a couple._

* * *

Scorpius was not quite sure what he was doing in the Forbidden Forest round the back of Hogwarts at seven o'clock in the evening when he had a test the first thing the next morning. He was even less sure why he'd capitulated to Rose Granger-Weasley's request and put on the stupid outfit whilst doing it. Nor donned the bow.

Hogwarts was a prestigious private school that many of the finest characters in Britain had attended. Scorpius' father, Draco Malfoy, had attended there, and Scorpius had always enjoyed sitting at the man's feet as he regaled him with stories on the fights and many conspiracies that had occurred between Draco and his arch-nemesis Harry Potter, sometimes sharing anecdotes through their regular **letters** as well. Personally, Scorpius didn't think that "Harry Potter" sounded like the most threatening name in the world, but he vividly remembered the pranks that Potter's son, James, had been notorious for four years ago, before he was expelled in Scorpius' second year. Scorpius **smiled** in reminiscence.

And whilst Scorpius knew that there were hefty tuition fees if you wanted your children to attend, making sure that the parents who could afford it would press their students to not act out and waste their money, he couldn't deny that there were several more. . . wild, students in his year.

Rose Granger-Weasley being one of them.

And curse him was being a fool and not being able to say no to that disappointed face, and those sweet, mischievous eyes (he knew he'd had a mind-blowing crush on her for five years for a reason) and agreeing to this _pointless_ activity of drifting through the Forbidden Forest behind the school, dressed in hunting leathers with a bow and feather flecked **arrow** notched in it.

This was ridiculous.

Scorpius sighed, and shivered, stepping back, and rocking on his **foot** uncertainly. The evening was cold and nipping, and the wind bit at him even through the ostentatious clothes she'd had him dress up in. He supposed this was all some sort of elaborate prank to her.

A **bug** \- with pincers! - flew right at him, seemingly attracted by the cherry red of his sash, and the cobalt blue of his **mask** , and he jerked back. He didn't like bugs at all, and shuddered for a completely different reason to the cold as he watched it land on the ground and take a few steps in his direction. The bug's wings made a whooshing sound as they whirred.

"Ugh," he muttered, then froze.

No; the whooshing sound wasn't coming from the bug (thank goodness).

It was coming from above him.

Scorpius looked up, and had just enough to time process a dark silhouette plummeting from the darkening sky - no doubt unseen by those looking out of the windows of Hogwarts because of it - and scream, then shove the back of his hand into his teeth in an attempt to try to suppress it.

It didn't work.

But he had the presence of mind (and the common sense) to fling himself sideways, out of the way, and shield his head with his free arm, as the tree he'd been leaning against groaned, splinters the length of snakes' fangs showering the ground from where the bark buckled, and bent over. There was an avalanche of rustling leaves, then nothing.

Scorpius tentatively opened his eyes and was greeted with the garish sight of a bright yellow and blue striped tarpaulin.

No; not a tarpaulin, Scorpius realised as he stood up, and brushed off his equally as garish outfit. A **parachute**.

Why on earth had a parachute crash landed in the middle of the Forbidden Forest?

Scorpius pursed his lips, and rose to his feet. He scrabbled amongst the fallen leaves for his dropped bow, and yanked the arrow from where it'd become stuck in the ground. He'd just gritted his teeth and went to walk away, when another rustle, and a voice pulled his attention upwards. "Hello?"

Scorpius froze.

His heart jumped into his throat.

A stranger was talking to him.

"Er," he said inelegantly. "H-Hi." He turned around, and looked up, only to give a start when a boy the same age as him peered through the shambles of autumn leaves. He had a mop of messy black hair, and wide, vivid green eyes. His pale face was round and healthy - jolly - and his chin was fairly pointed. "Um." Scorpius fumbled for something to say. "What are you doing up there?"

The boy snorted at the **question**. "Oh yes, because I go parachuting and willingly plummet to my imminent death into trees that scratch me to within an inch of my life. I'd sooner jump off of Blackfriars **Bridge** naked." At Scorpius' blank expression, he amended, "I'm not entirely sure. I steal my father's jet to go parachuting because I was in a bad mood after being refused entrance by my dad's old school _again_ because of some prank my idiotic brother pulled years ago. And so I took the plane and asked the pilot to fly it anywhere, but we hit a storm a little while back, and got a bit, but of course me being me I jumped out as soon as we were clear so. . ." He gave a lopsided grin, as though he was oblivious to Scorpius' distressed look. "Here I am." There was a pause then. "I'm Albus Potter by the way."

Scorpius was still agape. "Um. . ." Then something clicked. "Are you James Potter's little brother?"

Albus' smile dropped. "Um. . . yeah." A bitter laugh. "That was why I'm not allowed in Hogwarts. They think I'll be as much of a troublemaker as him."

"You realise you're on Hogwarts grounds right now, right?" Scorpius asked incredulously.

Albus didn't even look mildly surprised. "Am I? How strange."

"I'm Scorpius Malfoy by the way," Scorpius said suddenly, realising that he hadn't actually introduced himself. If it was possible, Albus' grin widened.

"So you're Draco Malfoy's son?" He asked, with a playful glint to his eye. Scorpius nodded reluctantly. "Are you a little poofer as well?"

"What?"

"Nothing," Albus said, grinning like the Cheshire Cat now. "Just a parody of sorts that my brother invented based on the stories my father used to tell us of Hogwarts. Your father starred in quite a few."

"I can imagine." There was silence for a second, then Albus started wriggling, and the tree groaned again, beginning to list forwards.

He froze, with a look of intense terror on his face. "I don't mean to be overstepping any boundaries," he said carefully. "But do you think you could help me get down?"

And thus began a beautiful friendship.

* * *

 _I don't know. I just got an idea and ran with it._

 _I always love to hear your thoughts :)_


	4. Find the Photo, Wave the Wand

_No reviews on the last chapter? Where is the love?_

 _Anyway, the dice this time showed:_

 _A **Dice** , a **Question Mark** , an **Apple** , a **Keyhole** , a **Magnet** , a **Rainbow** , an **Arrow** , a **Book** , and a **Light Bulb**._

 _Places where I incorporated these things are flagged in bold._

 _This oneshot is platonic, and is set in an All Human universe._

.

By the time Albus had managed to open the magical trick box, Scorpius had almost congested his entire **apple**.

His friend had dragged him into the library of the Malfoy Manor on one of those holidays where Albus stayed round at Scorpius's, instead of vice versa. His friend's hair was standing on end, like it shared his excitement, and his green eyes were bright as he practically dragged Scorpius into the room from where he'd found him in the kitchen consuming his healthy snack, and spread out across the large table an array of seemingly useless items.

Scorpius switched on the lamp, and lifted away the curtain from the lampshade; the **lightbulb** could get hot and potentially cause the curtain to catch fire when it was left on for too long. Then he studied what his friend had put in front of him.

Three **dice** had tumbled out of an upturned cup; a curved **magnet** , with a red handle lay atop a sheaf of old photographs; a coil gleamed dully in the lamplight; and an old padlock rusted shut was scattered amongst a mess of hairpins, paper clips, and needles, all awkwardly bent out of shape.

"What are you up to?" Scorpius **questioned** warily, taking a seat next to his friend. Albus beamed without looking up from the battered old **book** he was rifling through.

"You remember how I told you we were renovating the attic? Well, I was helping Mum dig up some of the old photographs, and found..." He trailed off as his gaze skimmed over the arrange of sepia images, until he plucked a seemingly random one out. "Aha! This one."

He handed it to him, and Scorpius squinted at the man depicted. "Is that..."

"My dad." Albus beamed proudly. The picture showed a man - barely more than a boy - of about eighteen, standing on a stage. He had a top hat in one hand, and a typical magician's wand in the other: black, with a white tip. There were props and odds and ends that looked designed for the theatre dotted around the edges - one appeared to be some sort of **rainbow** ; one a flashing **arrow** ; one a bridge - and an almighty crowd gathered at the foot of the stage to watch the magician perform. Though the photograph was blurry, Scorpius could still make out the strong features of Mr Potter's face that he knew so well, even if they looked out of place on a gangly teenager.

"I don't understand." Scorpius said slowly. "What does this," he gestured at the photo, "have to do with this?" He gestured at the odds and ends scattered on the table.

Albus grinned. "I asked Mum about it," he began, picking up the coil and beginning to fiddle with it, " and, apparently, Grandpa James - the one my brother is named after - used to be a great magician, famous all over England for his great illusions and showmanship. He and his friends formed a group called the Marauders."

"Uh huh."

"He met my grandma at a show; she was the younger sister of an avid fan of his friend." Albus didn't register Scorpius's noncommittal grunt. "And apparently, this meant that from a young age, my dad was learning magic tricks and even tried performing them professionally as a small stint when he was just turned eighteen. But eventually he gave up, and just turned to doing the boring job he's doing now."

"Your dad is a homicidal detective."

"Exactly! I can't believe he gave this stuff up. And I can't believe, that in these past sixteen years, James and Lily and I never found out. So," Albus's grin could have been mistaken for childish glee, had Scorpius not been so sure it terrified him witless. "I asked him to teach me some of his tricks."

"Oh."

"Oh indeed. And it took some weaselling, which I suppose I got from my Mum, but I got him to give me this book," he flourished a gesture at the book he'd been pouring over, "and I've been looking through it."

"Oh."

"I've been practicing, and I've got a few tricks I want to show you! I now know how to look through **keyholes** using magic, pick a lock, and how to get a penny out of a glass of water without getting my hand wet."

"Let's see them, then."

"You don't believe me, do you?"

There was an awkward pause, then Scorpius scratched the back of his head and said, "I don't _disbelieve_ you..."

Albus looked slightly dejected, but, to Scorpius's dismay, not at all dissuaded. "Never fear! Because I am going to prove you wrong, and follow in my granddad's footsteps to become the greatest magician who ever lived!"

.

Draco asked his son, "Why is Albus dancing in the library table, waving a stick around?"

Scorpius sighed. "Honestly, it's a long story."


End file.
